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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · bark · perch · vault · chair · hide · ball · temple

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — the fish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com